Destruction's Play
by firefly quill
Summary: Finding themselves at an impasse, an angel and a demon engage in a new contest: for Ciel's soul. A gentle revision of the original storyline. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I've been itching to write for awhile. Just playing around here. Comments and criticisms are much appreciated! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own these characters._

_Warnings: Rated M for later chapters. I assume this will eventually be Ciel/Sebastian. This chapter rated T for implied violence and gore. But if you read Kuroshitsuji, this should be nothing new to you :)_

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_Men, in their evil days, move my compassion;  
Such sorry things to plague is nothing worth. _  
-Mephistopheles, Goethe's _Faust_

_Let's make a wager then, you and I, seeing that this cannot be resolved through the old ways._

_A wager? I'm listening._

_...  
_

_"Well aren't you…a very small master."_

The voice coiled curiously through Ciel's mind, from all directions, from all angles, as though a disembodied being was circling him in scrutiny. Ciel's surprise at hearing it soothed the edges of the tension and the pain for a moment. His eyes remained pursed tightly shut, but he heard the hushed whispers of those who had just so recently been laughing, cutting, burning. He heard the sharp clicks of a hard, pointed heel on the marble floor.

The demon circled the stone slab, its eyes searching the child with interest. The brand on his side still smelled of newly burnt flesh. The demon stopped here. It was the same mark that had blazed so gloriously on the shield of that misguided angel, shortly before the demon had shattered it to pieces.

_..._

_This amuses you? _

_That you would allow me to work my influence? Yes. _

_Humans are filthy, sullied, disgusting creatures from birth. Only through purification can they be saved. Only in their darkness can they be purified. I invite you to do your worst. _

_You have nothing to fear from me on that. I fully intend to._

_..._

_So this is to be the game. _

The demon flashed its teeth in a devilish grin, and ran one long nail over the mark. The child responded with a gasp.

Ciel's eyes flew open and he found himself staring into a pair of brightly burning crimson ones. The creature was now tracing a finger through the pool of blood that had begun to overflow from the edges of the pedestal. It lifted its finger to its mouth, and ran its tongue slowly over it to savour the taste. And it smiled. The child's gaze did not waver.

_"You have summoned me. This fact will not change for all eternity." _

Its eyes darted up to access the situation. A dozen masked, cloaked figures flinched in synchronization at the sudden movement.

_"What has been sacrificed will never be returned."_

The demon once again looked down to the pedestal to find the child looking back at him with fierce intelligence, a calculating furrow formed on his smooth, bloodstained forehead. It surprised the demon that this boy, by far the youngest of any who had caught his attention, seemed to understand the proposition exactly, even though no agreement had been articulated. The demon was pleased that no more words were necessary. Explaining contracts was so horribly tedious.

_"Now…choose." _

Without hesitating, the boy's eyes hardened in resolution. Taking this for its answer, the demon purred in triumph. It ran one sharp fingernail across its wrist, and allowed the blood to splatter artlessly onto the boy's face. Ciel blinked as the liquid hit his eyes and began to burn there. His nerves were too saturated from his recent wounds to react to this new assault, as the agreement began to etch itself across his right cornea.

"This is an order!" Ciel's voice rang clear through the stone halls, despite being hoarse from hours of screaming.

The demon's ears pricked by instinct, bound already by the bond to its master.

"Kill them!"

It flashed its teeth in yet another smirk, and bowed reverently.

"Yes, my lord."

_This bet will be easily won._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hello again! Thanks for reviewing/alerting/favouriting/reading! I'm honoured that you would consider keeping track of this story :) This chapter is unfortunately also a bit on the shorter side. I'm having trouble with chapter breaks, but will hopefully get the hang of this yet! Once again, any comments and criticism is much appreciated.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of these characters

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"Good morning, young master."

The demon threw open the heavy velvet curtains in a single swift motion. The boy blinked several times from under the covers, but made no other reply. He sat up and watched as the demon walked across the room, wash basin in hand and towels on his arm. It—he—had taken a human form shortly after disposing of the cult members, and had fashioned himself in a butler's attire.

"I trust you slept well? I understand your morning normally begins earlier, but I allowed for a few extra hours today, given the circumstances," The demon smirked, noticing how its new master had flinched at the casual reminder, dripping with insolence. He set the water aside, having finished with it, and went to retrieve a set of fresh clothes, which he placed on the side of the bed. He stepped aside with an accommodating bow, inviting the boy to stand on the floor to be dressed. Ciel obliged in silence.

"We have taken residence in your family's London apartments. I apologize for not returning you directly to the manor, but it requires a bit of restorative work. It also would have been taxing to travel so far with the young master's weak disposition."

There was something about those accommodating words that seemed not so much insincere as empty. The sneer in the demon's voice was also unmistakable. Ciel's eyes narrowed.

_So this is the way it will be. _

The demon's attentive service only exasperated the emptiness of the gesture and reminded him of the ultimate price to be paid. Just as tears threatened once again to roll down the boy's porcelain cheeks, however, he clenched his teeth and held them back.

_No, this is what he expects. This is what they all expect, that I will be weak, that I will not last._

The creature interrupted his thoughts with its sultry voice.

"Will the young master take breakfast in his rooms or downstairs? Breakfast today is a light porridge with fresh milk, and a mild black tea, as the young master's appetite might yet be…delicate."

Ciel hesitated. The demon had demanded he make a choice, and he had done so, but that in itself did not guarantee victory. He realized suddenly that he was playing a new game with new rules—and a new chess piece that he had to effectively control.

_I cannot break. I must see this through. _

He made his choice.

"Young master?" The demon seemed genuinely confused by Ciel's silence.

"I want cake."

His servant straightened and raised an eyebrow.

"With all respect, my lord, I do not recommend—"

"That was an order," the voice trembled slightly, and threatened to break. Ciel shook his head and tried again.

"An order," he repeated more firmly. Neither moved. Ciel glared at his butler. "Repeat to me our agreement."

The demon blinked, but just as quickly recovered. "As you may recall from yesterday, I am your servant. I am bound to your order and will accomplish your every command. I belong completely," The demon knelt at Ciel's feet and lowered his head. "to you. And in the end—"

"My soul is yours," Ciel finished.

The demon's eyes flashed brighter red for a moment. "When the time comes," he acknowledged.

"Then in exchange for my soul, surely the butler of Phantomhive is _capable_ of making his master a damn cake if he wants it," Ciel snapped, using a tone of voice he'd never thought he had.

The demon regarded him for a moment, assessing the child in silence. A slow smile tugged at the corners of his lips and he bowed again. "Yes, my lord," he answered silkily.

He returned the tray to the cart and headed for the door, only to knock again moments later.

"My lord, today I have also prepared a vanilla sponge cake filled with raspberry jam, topped with light unsweetened cream, anticipating your sweet tooth. Although I had hoped that you would have caved to it later in the afternoon."

Ciel blinked.

"It is only natural that a butler of the Phantomhive family, as you say, is able to foresee his master's needs," The butler once again inclined his head, a self-satisfied smile playing on his lips.

"If I might be so bold as to warn the young master, however," he lifted the silver lid to show a most perfect and delicious-looking confection and leaned into whisper into the boy's ear. "Please consider your commands carefully."

Ciel did his best to look unaffected, embarrassed by his earlier shock and also by their proximity. "Why must you bore me with what I already know?"

"You are a quick learner, my lord," The demon flashed his teeth again. Indeed, few of his previous masters ever once noticed his insubordination until the very end, and fewer still had the audacity to fight back.

_And those masters never lasted very long. _

"Before we continue, might I suggest that the young master decide upon an appropriate name with which I will be addressed?"

"Of course," the child's voice took upon more authority with every word. He flashed a coy smile of his own. "I called my dog Sebastian."

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Hours later, Sebastian sat on the roof, repeating his new name quietly to himself. He hadn't expected the child to fight back quite so early. Instead of feeling anger, however, he was pleased, relieved even, that this contract would not be as easy or as boring as he had initially believed.

"You surprise me with your choice."

He did not turn to look at the intruder.

"Purifying this world is no small task, and I have many projects. You have chosen to form a pact with this one," The comment was more of a statement than a question.

"He was able to summon me and he understood the terms clearly. No 'choice' was necessary," Sebastian answered without turning to face the angel.

"To suggest that you do not carefully choose your victims would be a lie."

"To suggest that you have any reverence for human life would be a lie also."

"I have nothing but love for all of God's creation, which is why I offer them absolution and freedom from their sins."

"Through physical and psychological torture?" Sebastian asked with amusement.

"The conditions did work out superb with Ciel," The angel seemed to believe that they were agreeing on something. "And he is one of my favourites. I look forward to welcoming him into heaven, and banishing you from existence altogether."

Sebastian turned his head at last.

"I sincerely doubt you will witness either," he smiled sweetly. "This child is intelligent enough to escape your snare."

"Yes, but will he want to?" The angel smiled back.

"Would I have 'chosen' him, as you say, if he would not?" Sebastian stood with a sigh. "Now if you will excuse me, there is vomited cake that I must attend to."

Sebastian disappeared with a blur and the angel was left to muse on his parting words alone.


End file.
